Wind turbines producing electric power are already known in the state of the art. These wind turbines usually comprise components which may require maintenance and/or repair. For maintenance personal to access components located in the nacelle, it is known to provide climbing means, for example ladders, inside the tower on top of which the nacelle is rotatably mounted, such that a person can enter the nacelle on top of the tower using a corresponding access arrangement of the nacelle. Nacelles usually comprise a bed frame on which further components of the nacelle, for example the generator or a yaw drive for rotating (or re-orientating) the nacelle, may be mounted. The nacelle may also comprise a canopy defining a nacelle interior.
As already explained, usually access to the nacelle of a wind turbine is done via the tower. To accommodate this, a ladder may extend from the base of the tower all the way to the bed frame of the nacelle. Preferably, however, a service platform is placed below the bed frame within the top tower section, where one person can enter from a lift extending from the bottom of the tower. The tower lift can be a wire connected lift that may be mast-guided, or a rack and pinion type lift, wherein both these systems rely on an internal support structure, for example a pole or a mast, in particular a lattice mast. Access to the nacelle from this tower platform is then normally provided using a ladder, as the stationary lift cannot extend into the rotatably mounted nacelle.
However, using a ladder to climb up from a service platform to the bed frame of the nacelle is disadvantageous. First of all, it is complicated for persons wishing to access the nacelle, for example maintenance personal, to carry additional items, for example tools, with them. Additionally, when climbing the ladder from the service platform, harness equipment is needed since it is mandatory when climbing ladders. Finally, lifting loads into the nacelle can be a sophisticated task.